Biodiversity Media Grants- Earth Journalism Network

Application for the Biodiversity Media Grants 2022 is ongoing!

Many of the threats currently facing global biodiversity have been exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Funding for critical conservation and ecotourism projects has been redirected or lost, economic growth has been prioritized over protecting wild spaces, and media coverage of the outbreak has dwarfed reporting on conservation.

Indeed, the biodiversity crisis is one that impacts all of humanity and has not received the media coverage that it deserves. Media organizations and reporters have an important part to play in raising public awareness of biodiversity and conservation issues and highlighting potential solutions to these problems.  

As a part of the Earth Journalism Network’s Biodiversity Media Initiative project, we are pleased to announce the second round of grant opportunities for journalist networks, media organizations, civil society organizations, or academic institutions that are working to improve media coverage of biodiversity and conservation issues in countries where information is most under threat and most urgently needed.  

The Biodiversity Media Grants will support projects that:  

  • Build the capacity of journalism networks and media organizations to report on biodiversity and conservation issues  
  • Carry out biodiversity and/or conservation training activities for journalists  
  • Build internal capacity  
  • Organize local networks around these issues  

We are especially interested in projects that focus on conservation in biodiversity-rich regions of the world, such as the Amazon, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia.  

What types of projects does this grant opportunity support?   

The Biodiversity Media Grants will support projects that generally focus on training and capacity building, with flexible spending guidelines that enable local networks to invest in strategic opportunities, build the capacities of their members, and respond to communities’ needs.  

Projects funded by this grant should build awareness of the threats to biodiversity and conservation-based solutions by spreading quality news and information, with a focus on audiences in lower- and middle-income countries. Projects should also build the capacity of journalists and communicators to report on threats to biodiversity and on conservation-based solutions, by building their skills, knowledge, and contacts.  

While content production is an important aspect of any project, applications without some form of awareness-building, network-building, or capacity-building component will not be considered. If special opportunities arise, we are open to supporting fellowships and travel costs for journalists to report specific stories or cover key events, so long as these projects facilitate the creation of networks and/or are part of a training process.  

Please note that there will be a separate call later this year for applications by journalists looking for support to produce individual stories on biodiversity or conservation issues.  

Who is eligible to apply for this grant?   

The Biodiversity Media Grant Opportunity is designed to support the awareness- or capacity-building around biodiversity and conservation, network building, content production around these issues, or creating digital or other media outlets. Applicants should note their affiliations with existing media organizations or provide detailed plans about how this project would facilitate the creation of a new network or organization.   

As Internews is strictly a media development organization, we will not consider applications rooted in advocacy or political campaigning.   

This opportunity is open to journalist networks, media organizations, civil society organizations, or academic institutions. Although we will consider applications by NGOs or environmental groups looking to build the capacity of journalists to cover conservation issues, preference will be given to applications from or affiliated with professional journalists, media organizations, journalism schools, and the like.  

All activities must take place in the countries listed here. We will also consider applications for activities to be held in Russia.   

Where can this funding be used?   

This opportunity is focused on building capacity for reporting in countries where the need is often the greatest and the pool of available resources is limited. We are especially interested in projects in biodiversity-rich regions of the world, such as the Amazon, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia, or other biodiversity hotspots.   

How much funding is available?   

This grant fund has US$64,000 available for awards this year, which would ideally be shared among four to five projects. Although applications for funding of any amount within this total will be considered, we would expect the average grant size to be between $10,000 and $15,000, with potentially a greater share of the total going to projects that demonstrate a critical need.   

Biodiversity Media Grants- Selection process  

Grants will be awarded competitively by a panel of judges, consisting of Internews staff and experts in environmental reporting. Following a first-round review, potential grantees will be shortlisted. The jury may interview shortlisted applicants to seek further information on the proposed work. The jury will then reconvene again after the interviews to make a final selection of the grantees.  

Also, the jury evaluates all eligible applications in a comparative context and makes funding decisions based on the availability of funds, the program objectives, and the following assessment criteria:  

  • the overall quality of the proposal;
  • the relevance of the proposed project in contributing to the objectives and priorities of this grant program;  
  • potential impact of the proposed project, including the quality and effectiveness of the project design;  
  • the financial viability and cost-effectiveness of the proposed activity;  
  • the ability of the applicant to carry it out.  

How to apply for Biodiversity Media Grants

  1. Fill in the online application form by clicking the “Apply Now” button located on the top right of the page.  
  2. If you have an existing account, you’ll need to log in. If not, you will need to create an account by clicking “Join the Network” on the top right of the page.  
  3. Start the application and want to come back and complete it later you can click “Save Draft.” To return to your draft, you’ll need to go back to the opportunity and click “Apply Now” again to finalize the application.  
  4. All applicants are required to submit a budget with the application form. Please download this template and use it to build your project budget.  
  5. If you encounter difficulties with submitting your application or have questions about the grants, please email [email protected].  

These grants have been made possible thanks to financial support from Arcadia, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin, and are part of a larger project being carried out by EJN to try and increase and improve reporting on biodiversity and conservation issues.

Other activities that will be launched later this year and into 2022 include biodiversity reporting grants for in-depth stories by individual journalists, webinars, and an online training course on biodiversity. Stay informed about the latest opportunities available under our Biodiversity Media Initiative by joining our mailing list.  

Click on the BUTTON below to apply.

Application Deadline

The deadline for applications is midnight October 15, 2022, UTC-11. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted. Please consider submitting at least one day in advance of the deadline to avoid any issues. Decisions will be communicated before the end of November, with projects anticipated to start in early 2022. 

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